


A Pros Cookbook - Tag Bol

by golden_bastet



Series: A Pros Cookbook [4]
Category: The Professionals (TV 1977)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-17
Updated: 2013-12-17
Packaged: 2021-01-27 02:02:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21384268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/golden_bastet/pseuds/golden_bastet
Summary: Part Four of a series of Pros-related recipes. This was originally posted as part of the 2013 Discovered in a Christmas Pud challenge atDiscovered In A LiveJournal.
Series: A Pros Cookbook [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/65538





	A Pros Cookbook - Tag Bol

And last but not least, the final episode of... **A Pros Cookbook!**

A final spin through the choicest food bits highlighted in _The Professionals_.

Last serving: **Tag Bol**

Bodie knew that Doyle's spag bol was serious business: a creation for special occasions, meant to impress. He'd seen it maybe twice in all the years he'd been partnered with the man, and only tasted it once while Doyle was stirring the pot.

So he knew that when Doyle planned to feed it to Ann Holly, something serious was in motion.

And it was time for him to plan his _own_ counteroffensive.

*=*=*=*=*

Doyle famously makes Spaghetti à la Benny (often assumed in fandom to be Spaghetti Bolognese) for Ann Holly and Bodie in _Involvement_ – your basic spaghetti with meat sauce.

The idea of spag bol comes from Bologna, Italy, of course; however, according to those crazy kids at the Accademia Italiana della Cucina in Bologna, there's an official way of making the dish.

And no, no one has been making it right: at the very least, it should be tagliatelle – never spaghetti. *tsk, tsk*

Below is a close rendering of the official recipe, from the Accademia. This serves 3-4 people.

**Ragu alla Bolognese**

400 grams fresh tagliatelle (or fettucine, if you must)  
300 grams minced beef (the recommendation is for finta cartella, thin flank steak)  
150 grams unsmoked pancetta, finely chopped (though it's not a good idea to chop your finger and bleed on the pancetta like I did :-()  
50 grams carrots, finely chopped  
50 grams celery, finely chopped  
50 grams onion, finely chopped  
30 grams triple concentrated tomato puree (aka tomato paste in the U.S.; if you use double concentrated, use 40 grams)  
½ glass red or white wine  
180 ml fresh milk   
olive oil   
salt and pepper

The Accademia allows the addition of porcini mushrooms, if desired.

1\. Fry the pancetta gently in a little olive oil until it starts to render its fat.  
2\. Add the vegetables (carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms) and sauté, stirring until the onions become translucent.  
3\. Add the beef and cook until lightly browned (it should start making popping noises).  
4\. Add the tomato puree and the wine and mix well.  
5\. Add the milk slowly, stirring, until absorbed.  
6\. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover, lower the light, and cook for at least 2 hours. If it starts drying out, add a little more milk.  
7\. Boil the tagliatelle (should take ~ 5 mins); drain and portion on plates.  
8\. Portion ragu on tagliatelle and serve (side suggestions: green salad and a robust red wine).

The Accademia also allows Parmesan cheese served on the side. Thus spaketh the Accademia.


End file.
